Rory reports on his first day at Horsham High School. The funeral business of McPherson & Clark moves to the new premises. Rory makes early good progress with the piano at Ivy's place. Ivy is invited to be the organist for the opening ceremony with 75 guests present. After the various speeches and the formal opening by the Mayor of Horsham there is a demonstration of a coffin exiting through the landscaped garden. Ivy surprises everyone by her choice of music for this demonstration.

In the new year Rory assists Trent with establishing the garden at the new funeral home. He stays with Richard and Max at Golton Island. Rory goes skinny dipping. The following weekend Rory explores the Wimmera River precinct on his bike. He discovers a large irrigation channel syphon that goes right under the river. Everything falls into place for Rory to start school at Horsham, and the opening of the new McPherson and Clark funeral home. Max becomes Rory's guardian and Rory leaves Dimboola for good.

Rory visits Max and Richard for the weekend. Ivy and Trent join them for a Saturday lunch-time barbecue. Ivy warms to Rory straight away. Ivy divulges that she owns a piano. Trent talks about his time in Adelaide. It transpires that Trent knew George McPherson, whose residual estate went to Richard. Late on Saturday afternoon, Rory demonstrates his guitar playing talent. On Sunday afternoon, back at Dimboola, there is discussion with Rory's parents about Rory going to school in Horsham. They all agree for that to happen.

Ivy announces that she will take Rory in as a boarder. Rory accepts Max and Richard's offer for him to transfer to Horsham High School. McPherson and Clark organise an Aids-related funeral and there's an embarrassing glitch in the process. Trent Buxton stays on for a drink after working at Golton Island and talks about the landscaping at the new funeral home. Max and Richard invite Trent to lunch on the following Saturday and to meet Ivy and Rory at the same time.

Ivy Pasco visits Max and Richard at Golton Island. While she is there, the men ask Ivy to consider taking Rory in as a boarder if they can get him into Horsham High School. Charlene and Lyle ask to meet Max on neutral ground and they meet at May Park in Horsham. The discussion gets tense when Max's brother and sister-in-law ask for money. Max then announces that he and Richard are prepared to sponsor Rory to go to Horsham High School, commencing in three month's time.

Max's brother, Lyle, and his family visit Max and Richard at Golton Island. A tour of the house leads to a few revelations. The lunch time meal is taken within an uncomfortable atmosphere. Then they all take a tour of the island property. Near the waterhole, Chugga is bitten by a bull-ant and soon after the Dimboola Clark family goes home. As Richard and Max debrief they start to discuss assisting Rory to move to Horsham and the High School there.

Max and Richard visit Max's brother and his family at Dimboola. They catch up with each other's lives over the many years since they last saw each other. Amid the lower socioeconomic atmosphere, Max and Richard are impressed by Max's nephew, Rory. They wonder about assisting Rory somehow. There is further discussion about McPherson & Clark's new funeral home in Horsham.

Richard and Max's plans for moving their funeral business to new premises go ahead. They talk of hiring a gardener. Max conducts a high-profile funeral at the Anglican Church in Horsham. Trent Buxton gets the gardener's job. While Richard, Max, Trent and the architect are having a meeting at the site of the new funeral chapel they are interrupted by a woman. The woman announces herself as Max's sister-in-law, which is a surprise for Max.

Dulcie and David Chandler commence working for McPherson & Clark. Ivy visits Richard and Max; they discuss modernizing the funeral business. A man wanting to pre-arrange his funeral proves to be challenging. Richard politely contends with the man's peculiarities.

Richard and Max become funeral directors in Horsham. Ivy becomes a temporary out-of-hours phone contact for the business. Max finds himself suddenly called upon to arrange a funeral. Ronnie, a freelance embalmer, arrives on her big motor bike. Max does a few more "personal firsts" as a funeral director. With Ivy, Richard and Max discuss the applicants for the position of resident manager for the business.